Dog King
Copyright© 2026 by LoyalDog
Chapter 7: The Soul’s Possessions
Old Lady Martha, her face flushed with anger, followed inside, carrying Lelé.
“Madam is really a good person.”
Dino sighed inwardly, made up his mind, then suddenly tilted his head back and fell backward, his eyes rolling back, his whole body convulsing.
Black Panther was right next to him and even praised, “You acted so well, no wonder you’re the king.”
Fortunately, it was dog talk, and no one but Dino could understand it, but it still made Dino blush.
The noise outside startled Maya. When she came out to see what was happening, she was terrified to find Dino screaming like a chicken claw on the ground.
“Dino, what’s wrong?”
Maya rushed to Dino’s side, but the frantic cry of Old Lady Martha stopped her: “Don’t help him! He’s having an epileptic seizure. Make sure he doesn’t grab you.”
Hearing this, Dino’s heart skipped a beat. How wonderful it would be to hold Maya in his arms! However, Dino only dared to think about it and did not dare actually to hug her.
Ignoring Old Lady Martha’s advice, Maya helped Dino sit up by supporting his upper body. She half-knelt, weakened by the effort, allowing Dino to lean on her. As he rested against her soft, raised chest, Dino’s heart began to pound.
Old Lady Martha was decisive: “Pinch his philtrum, I’ll do it.” She then walked over and firmly pinched Dino’s philtrum.
The older woman had very long fingernails, and when she pinched them, blood was drawn.
Dino, though in pain, felt that it was about time. Mainly, it was his first time pretending to be a ghost, and he was a little nervous, so he had no choice but to open his eyes.
“Mom,” he called out to Old Lady Martha, imitating Kelo’s accent. To himself, it sounded fake, maybe only three or four parts similar.
Old Lady Martha was stunned for a moment: “This child, has he gone crazy from all the madness?”
At this moment, the black panther barked wildly at Dino, trying to help him. Dino then imitated Kelo’s tone and shouted, “Black Panther, what are you yelling for? It’s me.”
The black panther immediately stopped barking and came to his side, wagging its tail and shaking its head affectionately, just like when the older man Ke used to come back to the house.
He used the same voice twice, and both Old Lady Martha and Maya noticed something was wrong. With Black Panther’s help, the atmosphere became even more tense.
Old Lady Martha’s expression changed; she cried out, “Oh dear!” and took two steps back. Maya’s face also changed color, but, being kind, she didn’t let go of Dino and kept supporting him.
“Maya,” Dino called out to Maya.
Maya was supporting him and was right behind him. Dino had never seen her this close before. Her face seemed to glow, and Dino felt a little dizzy.
“Who are you?” Old Lady Martha exclaimed in alarm.
“I’m your son.”
“Oh!” Old Lady Martha exclaimed again.
Maya’s body trembled, and she moved her hand away.
“Mom, Maya, don’t worry,” Dino quickly assured them, fearing he had startled them. “I just remembered something and came back to tell you: I’m about to cross the Bridge of Helplessness. After I cross it, I won’t be able to return.”
People say that when they die, they have to go through the Gates of Hell and cross the Bridge of Helplessness. People here believe in these superstitions.
“What, what do you want to say?” Old Lady Martha was even more frightened, and Maya was, too. Holding Lele, she went to Old Lady Martha’s side and stared at Dino, her eyes wide with shock.
Dino, wanting to avoid alarming her, spoke directly: “Maya, your name is unfortunate. Your surname, Devi, contains the character for ‘Goddess,’ suggesting a ‘Glowing light that is flowing and cannot be held back,’ and ‘mouth in the sky,’ which is too expansive. Furthermore, your given name, ‘Maya,’ includes the ‘Love’ radical. While its original meaning was ‘magical love,’ it has since faded. Consequently, your fate is not good.”
Kelo helped people believe in superstitions and often made up ghost stories. Dino had heard it so many times that he seemed to be able to make them up naturally. However, the saying that Maya’s mouth was in heaven was an old saying of Kelo that he had said before. Dino remembered it but did not take it seriously at the time. Now it came in handy.
“Ah.” Maya exclaimed, her pretty mouth opening slightly.
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